The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has introduced a WhatsApp-based service as part of a wider digital push aimed at making tax compliance easier and more affordable for Kenyans.
The authority says the platform allows taxpayers to access services at any time without the need to visit KRA offices.
At the centre of the reforms is a 24-hour WhatsApp chatbot that allows taxpayers to get assistance at any time. Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga said the chatbot supports 15 services, including answering tax queries and guiding users through the process of filing returns.
“You can file returns via WhatsApp and through the web. Just ask a query via our 24-hour WhatsApp chatbot, where we have 15 services that can be served through our WhatsApp platform,” Wattanga said.
Wattanga said KRA is also embracing advanced technology to improve how taxes are managed. He noted that investments in artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analytics will help the authority improve compliance, detect irregularities and respond more quickly to taxpayer needs, while keeping systems simple and efficient.
KRA chairman Ndiriitu Muriithi said major upgrades to IT systems and software have already changed how the authority operates.
“Modernising our IT systems is a vital step in promoting efficiency, higher revenue collections and erasing paper-based processes,” Muriithi said.
He added that the reforms have reduced paperwork, simplified procedures and lowered compliance costs for taxpayers.
Beyond WhatsApp, KRA has expanded access to services through USSD platforms that work on basic mobile phones, allowing more Kenyans to register, file returns and access tax services without internet access.
The authority is also working on a stationless PIN service model that will allow taxpayers to get help from any KRA office, regardless of where they first registered.
The digital reforms come as KRA reports strong revenue performance. In the second half of the 2025/26 financial year, which ended in December 2025, the authority collected Sh307.6 billion against a target of Sh285 billion, translating to a 108 per cent performance rate and growth of 29.3 per cent.
Customs and Border Control collections also reached Sh85.9 billion, exceeding the target and recording the highest monthly collection in the authority’s history.
KRA says the ongoing reforms are aimed at making tax compliance simpler and more accessible, while supporting steady revenue growth for the government.
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